It’s well known at this point that Donald Trump has skin so thin, it’s as transparent as his attempts to cheat at golf.
This has led to a number of feuds with a wide range of people, from veteran groups who pointed out how he disrespected former soldiers to the former model Chrissy Teigen. Yet between his numerous legal troubles, trying to stop everyone finding out how broke he truly is, and failing to maintain a level of personal hygiene beyond that of a helpless baby, it seems Trump may have finally lost his instinctive desire to lash out at critics given that he hasn’t responded to yet another roasting handed out to him by beloved actor Robert De Niro.
De Niro used an appearance on The View to call out the former president, stating, “It’s almost like he wants to do the worst that he could possibly do,” and, “I see what a hateful, mean-spirited, awful thing he is.”
He also criticized Trump’s denigration of disabled Americans and former members of the armed forces. The tirade was topped off with a little history lesson in which the actor reminded everyone that menaces like Trump may be ridiculous to the point of parody, but could still do real damage:
“You read about it historically in other countries that they didn’t take the people seriously…I think of Hitler, Mussolini.”
This isn’t the first time De Niro has gone all in on the Trump hate train, using his speech at last year’s Gotham Awards to lay into the bankrupt businessman and alleged sex offender. He was at the ceremony, which is a smaller event that focuses on rewarding authentic storytelling and what it refers to as “significant moments in cinema,” because of his role in Killers of the Flower Moon. The highly successful Martin Scorcese film dramatized the story of the Osage murders, a series of killings of Native Americans that took place in the 20th century. The murders were driven by both greed and white supremacy, two things that are high up on the list of concepts you’d associate with Donald Trump.
De Niro used that opportunity to rail at Trump for spreading misinformation, opining: “History isn’t history anymore. Truth is not truth. Even facts are being replaced by ‘alternative facts.’” He went on to add that Trump “lied to us more than 30,000 times during his four years in office.” These are, of course, the public lies. If we were to calculate the amount of untruths told by Trump throughout his presidency in general, we’d probably have to use all the computing power in the world to reach the number.
De Niro also made reference to Trump’s childish taunt of senatory Elizabeth Warren. The former Apprentice host referred to the Democratic politician as “Pochahonas” while at a White House event honoring Native Americans. Doing “the worst that he could possibly do,” indeed.
Of course, back then Trump wasn’t in the thick of multiple legal cases, so he had the time to get on his echo chamber/failing social network and write a stream of nonsense about De Niro, bashing the Oscar winner’s acting abilities:
“Robert De Niro, whose acting talents have greatly diminished, with his reputation now shot, must even use a teleprompter for his foul and disgusting language. So disrespectful to our Country. He has become unwatchable both in movies, and with the FOOLS that destroyed the Academy Awards, bringing them from one of the top shows in the Country to a Low Rated afterthought. De Niro should focus on his life, which is a mess, rather than the lives of others. He has become a total loser, as the World watches, waits, and laughs!”
Trump has notably been parodied all over the world, and in most other countries is considered a laughing stock. The back and forth has been going on much longer than since last year, though. De Niro has been doing what many other prominent Americans seem to be afraid of doing and calling out the former president and attempted dictator since before he was even first elected, saying “…if I have a bigger voice because of my situation, I’m going to use it whenever I see a blatant abuse of power.”
With any luck, Trump will continue to be stuck in his legal cases and we won’t have to read whatever nonsensical response he pumps out. Until then, it’s De Niro who’s on top.
